Mouth-prop



s. R I SLEY. MOUTH PROP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1920.

1 401,190, Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

Aid 5- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

SHERIDAN RISLEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVELAND DENTALMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MOUTH-PROP.

' S- ecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it 'known that I, SHERIDAN RISLEY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland in the count of Ou'aho 'a and t t r be 1 y L c i i 1 L. S a. e o 10, rue my ented certainnew and useful Improvements in lllouth-Prop's,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mouth props or gags, such as are used bydentists or surgeons for propping open a patients jaws while working oroperating in the mouth.

Prior instruments for this purpose have usually been adjustable to varythe distance between the jaws, and have been so con structed as toprevent the patient from closing his jaws together beyond the positionto which the instrument is adjusted, and to yield and to open out tofollow the jaws if the patient opens his mouth more widely. Suchinstruments are objectionable because when the patient separates hisjaws the following movement of the instrument prevents him fromthereafter closing his jaws to the original position. As a consequencethe patient either opens his mouth so widely as to cause him to swallowconsiderable blood with bad effects upon the digestive tract, or thejaws may even become dislocated by continued stretching. These resultswill occur unless the dentist or surgeon stops his operating work andreadjusts the prop or The resent inventionhas for its object to providean improved mouth prop or gag which can be readily adjusted to anydesired size, which will prevent the patient from closing his jawsbeyond the point to which the instrument isset, and which will alsoallow the patient to open his jaws wider and then return them to theiroriginal positions without attention by the operating dentist orsurgeon.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part willappear more in detail hereinafter.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of partshereinafter clescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, which represent one suitable embodiment of theinvention, Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 is a: rear elevation;Fig. 3 is an end view; and Fig. e is a etail sectional. elevation on theline k4,

The instrument shown in the drawings comprises a pair of arms 1, 2provided with like opposed jaw portions 3 shaped to form pockets orseats at to receive the paticnts teeth and suitably connected forrelative adj ustment and movement as will appear. ()ne of said arms,such as arm 1, may be 'considered to be fixed and the other arm 2to bemovable, although of course relative motion between said arms is theessential thing. The fixed arm is rigidly connected to a base in theform of a post 5 while the other arm has a sleeve-portion 6 slidable onsaid post to provide the relative jaw movement'before referred to. Arm 2is prevented from escaping from the post by a cap screw 7, while thesleeve 6 may be locked in any position along the post 5 by the set screw8. The arms are held in parallel relation with the sockets 4 oppositeeach other by making the post of noncircular cross section such assquare with a corresponding opening in the sleeve 6, and therebypreventing rotation of the sleeve on the post. Said arms are normallyseparated by a compression spring 9 and are usually provided with largeopen cars 10 to receive the thumb and a finger for adjusting the armstoward each other.

The instrument is used by inserting the thumb and a finger into the ears10 and moving the two arms toward each other until their jaw portionsare separated the proper amount and are properly adjusted between thepatients jaws. hen in this position the movable arm 2 is locked byscrewing up set screw 8, to prevent the patient from closing his jawsbeyond the position to which the instrument is set. In setting theinstrument and adjusting it to position between the patients jaws thetwo arms are readily adjusted with the thumb and finger, but theadjustment prevents the patient, either consciously or unconsciouslyfrom closing his jaws more than the amount de sired by the operatingsurgeon. The pressure of the patients jaws on the arms is applied aconsiderable distance from the post 5, and consequently with a tendencyto tilt or cook the relatively long sleeve 6 on the post 5, and thislong sleeve therefore grips the post and is held from sliding movementthereon, except by pressure applied fairly close to the post and in thedirection of its length. When the arms are properly set. the set screw 8is adjusted, after which no sliding movement of the sleeve on the postcan occur,

To enable the jaw portions of the instrument to readily separate andfollow the opening movement of the patients jaws, in case'he opensthem,.the arm 2 is movably connected to a base portion 11, a part ofwhich base portion forms the sleeve 6. As illustrated, the arm 2 ispivoted at 12 to said base on an axis transverse to the length of saidarm and to the post 5. A projecting ear portion 13 or" arm 2 liesbetween side plates 14 of the base, and in a cavity 15 between said sideplates is located, a light leaf. spring 16 suitably secured in place,such as by the rivet 17, and having a curved lower portion, the free endof which enters a socket 17 in the arm. This spring is so arranged as toconstantly exert a tendency to turn arm 2 to the position indicated indotted lines Fig. 1. The movement of said arm in the opening directionis preferably limited in any suitable manner, such as by a shoulder 18on the arm which engages a projection 19 from the back wall of therecess or cavity 15.

With the arrangement described the in strument is inserted in thepatients jaws and adjusted in the manner before described. If thepatient is under the influence of anesthetics and involuntarily openshis jaws, arm 2 will move toward the dotted line position, Fig. l, andfollow the .pa'tients jaws, thereby preventing the instrument frombecoming disengaged from the jaws. However, when the patient next closeshis jaws, arm 2 re turns to its original position where it continues toform a positive gag, preventing the patient from closing his aws beyondthe amount for which the instrument is set.

What I claim is:

1. A mouthprop or gag, comprising a pair of cooperating aw receivingmembers, and relatively adjustable slidably connected base memberssupporting the same, one of said jaw receiving members being pivotallyconnected to its base member.

2. A mouth prop or gag, comprising a pair of cooperating jaw receivingmembers, relatlvely ad ustable slidably connected base memberssupporting the same, one of said 7 jaw receiving members being pivotallyconnected to its base member, and yielding means between said movablejaw receiving member and its base member tending to eparate said jawreceiving members.

8. A mouth prop or gag, comprising a relatively stationary jaw receivingmember, a post connected thereto, a base member slidable on said post,and a jawreceiving member movably mounted on said base member.

i. A mouth prop or gag, comprising a relatively stationary jaw receivingmember, a post connected thereto, a base member slidable on said postand having a sleeve portion surrounding the same, a spring on said posttending to move said base member along the same, and a yielding jawreceiving member movably connected to said sleeve portion.

5. A mouth prop or gag, comprising a relatively stationary jaw receivingmember, a post connected thereto, a base member slidable on said postand having a sleeveportion surrounding the same, a spring on said posttending to move said base member along the same, a yielding aw receivingmember pivotally connected to said sleeve portion, and yielding meansbetween said pivoted jaw receiving member and said sleeve portiontending to separate said jaw receiving members.

6. A month prop or gag, comprising two relatively adjustable basemembers, one of which immovably supports a jaw receiving member, a rigidjaw receiving member pivoted to the other base member, and a springtending to swing said rigid jaw receiving member away from the other jawreceiving member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

SHERIDAN RISLEY,

